Railway-rail joint.



D STEEL RAILWAY RAIL 101m. APPLICATION FILED JULY 28, 19M.

Patented. Dec. 14, 1915.

D. STEEL.

RAILWAY RAIL JOINT.

( APPLICATION FILED JULY 28. I914. 1,16%,1 35.1 Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

DAVIDSON STEEL, or nonnvsoiv, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY-RAIL JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedDec. list, 1915.

Application filed July 28, 1914. Serial No. 853,670.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, DAVIDSON STEEL, citizen of the United States, residing at Robinson, in the county of Crawford and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Rail Joints, of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention relates to improvements in joints for uniting the contiguous ends of railway rails, and has for one of its objects to simplify and improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device which may be readily applied without material structural change to the various forms of clamp plates already in use, and whereby the clamp plates are firmly held in position and the nuts of the clamp bolts prevented from retrograde movement.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims; and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a railway rail joint constructed in accordance with the invention.- Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of a portion of the combined locking key and nut holder employed in the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 2 illustrating slight modifications in the construction. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating another modification in the constructon. Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line 77 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detached perspective view of the auxiliary holding member employed in the construction illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9 is a detached perspective view of the nut lockng key employed in the structure illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved device may be adapted and applied without material structural change to railway clamp devices of various forms, and to rails of various sizes, and it is not desired, therefore, to limit the invention to any specific size or form of rail, or any speciiic size or form of clamp plates, but for the purpose of illustration the improved device is shown applied to the abutting ends of a pair of rails of the ordinary construction and represented conventionally at 10-11 with the clamp members 1213 also substantially of the usual form, and coupled thereto by the usual clamp bolts let having the clamp nuts The clamp plates 1213 in Fig. 5 are extended laterally, as represented at 1617, and enlarged and downturned at their terminals 18-l9.

in Fig. 2 the clamp plate at the right is the same as shown in Fig. 5 at the right, while the clamp plate at the left in Fig. 2 is formed without the extension 16 and the down-turned terminal 18. Bearing beneath the rails 10 11 is a tie plate or chair, as represented at 20 in Figs. 1, 2 and In the structure disclosed in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the bearing member 20 is formed with an upwardly directed holding rib 23 near one edge and slightly overhanging the downturned terminal 19 of the clamp member 1317. The plate 20 is likewise formed with an upwardly directed holding rib 24 near the edge opposite to the rib 23. The rib 23 extends above the downturned termi nal 19 of the plate 13 while the rib 24; eX- tends above the downturned terminal 18 of the plate 12, as shown in Fig. 5.

In the structure shown in Fig. 2, the plate 12 is formed with a longitudinally directed recess forming a shoulder 26.

In the structure disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 the clamp member 12 is formed with a longitudinal channel 26, and bearing upon the adjacent flanges of the rails 10 and 11 is a longitudinally directed holding member 27 with its inner edge engaging in the channel 26 and with its outer edge tapered to correspond to and engage beneath the overhanging face of the rib 24. The member 27 is provided with a plurality of oblique notches 28 into one of which one corner of one of the nuts 15 is caused to engage to prevent the release of the nember.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the clamp member 1216 is formed with a longitudinally directed channel 29 similar to the channel 26 but dove-tailed transversely and into which the correspondingly formed inner edge of a holding member 30 engages, as shown, the member 30 corresponding to the member 27.

. In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the inner edge of the rib 24. is extended inwardly and formed with its inner face oblique to the vertical axis of the rail and likewise slightly oblique longitudinally of the rail. The doubly oblique face at 25 eX- tends above the portion 18 of the clamp member 1216.

In the modifications shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, a holding bar or strip 31 is employed and provided with a plurality of apertures 82 to engage over the clamp bolts 14. By reference to Fig. 8, which represents the holding member 31 detached, it will be noted that the apertures for receiving the clamp bolts are located nearer the upper edge of the bar at one end than at the other, so that, assuming that the various clamp bolts extend in a line parallel with the ball and flange of the rail, the lower edge of the bar will be disposed closer to r the upper face of the portion 16 of the clamp member at one end than at the other end, thus producing a gradually inclined space between the lower edge of the member 31 and the adjacent face of the portion 16 of the clamp member, as illustrated in Fig. 6. By this means a groove-like seat or channel is produced between the member 31 and the portion 16 of the clamp member and which tapers slightly toward one end.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the lower edge of the bar 31 is at right angles to its side face, so that the space beneath the member 31 corresponds to the channel 26 shown in Fig. 2.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the lower edge of the bar 31 is beveled transversely, to receive a key member 33 which is angular in cross section and tapered slightly toward one end to correspond to the taper of the lower edge of the member 31 above noted. The member 33 is arranged with its thicker portion between the lower tapered face of the member 31 and the portion 16 of the clamp member, and by its taper form is adapted to be driven into its seat and thus firmly locked in position by the oblique and tapered face of the member 33, as illustrated in Fig. 6. A plurality of tapered notches or recesses 34: similar to the notches 28 are formed in the upper in clined face of the member and for the same purpose. By this simple arrangement the clamp member is firmly locked in position and retrograde movement of both the nut and the key is effectually prevented by the co-action of the nut and the notches.

The structure disclosed in Figs. 5 and 7 enables the device to be applied to the ordinary clamp members, or those in common use, without structural change.

When clamp members are specifically constructed for the improved joint the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or 4: will preferably be employed, the only change required in the clamp member being to form the longitudinally directed groove or channel 26 or the dovetailed groove 29 in the clamp member and providing the key member 27 or 30 as the case may be, to engage 1n the channel.

The improved device 1s simple 1n construction, can be inexpensively manufacing a clamp member and clamp bolts and nuts, a bearing member having a stop rib formed with a longitudinally oblique face, a locking member engaging the clamp member and bearing beneath the clamp nuts and with one edge corresponding to and engaging the oblique face of the stop rib, and means associated with the clamp member for preventing upward movement of the locking member.

2. A device of the class described including a clamp member and clamp bolts and nuts, a locking member engaging the clamp member and bearing beneath the clamp nuts. said locking member having a plurality of notches into one of which the corner of one of the nuts. is adapted to engage, and means engaging the outer face of the clamp memher for its entire length and preventing upward movement of the locking member.

3. A device of the class described including a clamp member and clamp bolts and nuts, a bearing member having a stop rib formed with a longitudinally oblique face, a locking member engaging the clamp member and bearing beneath the clamp nuts and with one edge corresponding to and engaging the oblique face of the stop rib, a holding member perforated to engage over the clamp bolts and engaged by said nuts, the lower edge of said holding member being inclined to the longitudinal plane of the locking member and operating to prevent Hp ward movement of the locking member.

41. A rail joint comprising a lower bearing member having an upwardly directed rib, said rib extending obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the bearing member and having a longitudinal channel in its inner face, a clamp member bearing against the webs of abutting railway rails, the outer edge of said clamp member being directed obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the bearing member and engaging in the channel of said rib, a tapered locking member bearing at one edge against said rib, and means applied to the other edge of said locking member to prevent its upward movement.

5.In a device of the class described, a bearing member, a clamp member associated with said bearing'member, clamping devices including clamp nuts and adapted to unite the clamp member to a supporting body, a holding member perforated to engage said clamping devices and engaged by said nuts, the lower edge of said holding member being inclined to the longitudinal plane of the clamp member, and a tapered locking member engaging beneath the inclined edge of said holding member and extending into the paths of said nuts.

6. In a device of the class described, a bearing member, a clamp member associated with said bearing member, clamping devices including clamp nuts, and adapted to unite the clamp member to a supporting body, a holding member perforated to engage said clamping devices and engaged by said nuts, the lower edge of said holding member being inclined to the longitudinal plane of the clamp member, and a tapered locking member engaging beneath the inclined edge of said holding member and having notches to be engaged by one of said nuts and held thereby from longitudinal displacement.

7. A device of the class described comprising a lower bearing member having an upwardly directed rib, said rib extending obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the bearing member and having a longitudinal channel in its inner face, a clamp member adapted to bear against a support, the outer edge of said clamp member being directed obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the hearing member and engaging in the channel of said rib, clamp bolts including holding nuts extending through said clamp member and the supporting body, a tapered locking key bearing at one edge against said rib, and means applied to the edge of said key to prevent its upward movement. 7

8. In a device of the class described, a bearing member, a clamp member associated with said bearing member, clamping devices including clamp nuts and adapted to unite the clamp member to a supporting body, a holding member having its edges in parallel relation and perforated to engage said clamping devices and engaged by said nuts, the perforations of said holding member extending obliquely to its parallel edges, whereby when applied to the clamping devices the lower edge of the holding member will be inclined to the longitudinal axis of the clamping member, and a tapered locking member engaged beneath said holding member and extending into the paths of said nuts.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVIDSON STEEL.

Copies ,of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, I). C. 

